More than 1,000 UK employees trial four-day working week without pay cut

Seventeen British companies, including Crate Brewery in Hackney and the British Society for Immunology, are launching a six-month trial of the four-day working week with more than 1,000 employees taking part.

The trial, organized by the 4 Day Week campaign, allows workers to maintain full pay while working just four days each week.

This follows a successful trial in 2022, where 56 out of 61 participating companies permanently adopted the shorter week after reporting improved employee morale, reduced stress, and no negative impact on performance.

The trial will run until April, with data on employees’ well-being, productivity, and burnout collected by researchers from the University of Cambridge, the Autonomy Institute, and Boston College. The results will be presented to the government next summer, providing further knowledge about the feasibility of the four-day business model.

Labor has shown interest in flexible working options, with Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner stating that they “pose no threat to the economy”. Joe Ryle, director of the 4 Day Week campaign, supports this model, which offers “50 per cent more free time without loss of pay”, promoting a happier, more fulfilling life.

For companies like Crate Brewery, beta provides a unique advantage in the hospitality industry. Georgia Pearson, the company’s people director, notes that this “groundbreaking” transformation not only supports employee wellbeing, but also provides a competitive recruitment advantage. Doug Brown, Chief Executive of BSI, expressed optimism about improving work-life balance among employees, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining high service standards.

Already, nearly 200 UK companies have adopted the four-day working week, and a recent study by Owl Labs suggests that 1.5 million UK employees work a four-day week, showing a growing interest in this approach across the workforce.